Indicia readers (i.e., barcode scanners, barcode readers, indicia scanners, etc.) are devices which decode and interpret machine-readable codes (i.e., indicia, barcodes, QR codes, characters, signatures, etc.) that are marked (e.g., printed, labeled, written, etc.) on objects to help someone perform a function (e.g., shipping, calculate cost, etc.) or to help understand something about the object (e.g., model number, serial number, etc.). While various types of indicia readers exist, imaging indicia readers are often preferred due to their versatility.
Imaging indicia readers use an image sensor (e.g., a charge-coupled device (CCD)), to capture a digital image of at least one indicium. The digital image is processed (e.g., using a processor within the indicia reader) to read (e.g., recognize, decode, etc.) the one or more indicia found in the image.
Imaging indicia readers (i.e., indicia readers) are often configured to automatically sense when an object enters the indicia reader's field of view (i.e., scan field) by detecting infrared (IR) light levels. In this way, the indicia reader may be woken from a sleep state (i.e., sleep mode) or may be automatically triggered to scan (i.e., read) an indicium. Traditionally, indicia readers have been configured with dedicated sensor subsystems to accomplish these functions. An exemplary sensor subsystem may include an IR photodetector, circuitry, optics, and/or mechanical parts.
This extra sensor subsystem is typically required for indicia readers since the image sensors used for indicia reading generally require IR filtering to reduce noise. Eliminating this extra sensor subsystem would make indicia readers more cost effective and more reliable.
Therefore, a need exists for an indicia reader having an image reader configured for both indicia reading and object detection.